


By Your Side

by RinChanSanMatsuoka



Series: Makorin Week 2015 [6]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Splash Free, F/M, Fem!Rin, Female Matsuoka Rin, Fluff, Genderbending, MakoRin Week, MakoRin Week 2015, Male-Female Friendship, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 09:36:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5492414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinChanSanMatsuoka/pseuds/RinChanSanMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makorin week day 6<br/>Prompts: AU</p><p>Rin struggles with her betrothal and upcoming coronation and finds comfort in someone she thought she would hate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> This got out of hand and ended up being way longer than intended. I wanted to add more but I'm already late whoops.

“I don’t see why we have to do the marriage so soon after my coronation!  I don’t even see why I have to do this whole marriage thing anyway!”

Rin stormed through the palace halls, tearing off the sheer veil she’d worn to visit her mother.  She would have to wait until she was in her rooms before getting rid of the constricting dress she wore.

“Because, princess, you’ll both be of age and you’ve been betrothed since you were children.”  Sousuke followed right on her heels, never letting her get too far ahead of him.

Whipping around, she glared at him, though a small part of her felt smug when he stumbled to a halt in an attempt not to run into her.  “I don’t _want_ to!  I don’t even know him!  And I told you to call me Rin!  I’m so sick of everyone just calling me princess.” She continued to glare up at him, only getting more annoyed when Sousuke just smiled.

“I’m sorry, Rin,” Sousuke smiled a bit.  “And you have met him, once, back when we were children.  It was when your father worked out the negotiations with his family.”

“I don’t remember him!  Are you sure that really happened?”

“Yes.  You took one look at him before storming off, saying that boys were gross.  Apparently I didn’t count.”  Laughing, Sousuke ruffled her hair, only aggravating her further.

“Whatever.  I refuse to go through with it.  If I marry, I want to marry for love.”  Scowling, Rin turned around again, heading back towards her rooms.  This was so stupid.

She heard Sousuke sigh behind her as he started to follow her again.  “You’re about to be queen, Rin.  I know it’s scary but you have a duty to your people.” He smiled at her when she sent him another glare.  “Besides, if he tries to do anything you don’t want, I’ll kill him.  That is if you don’t get to him first.  Your knife skills rival mine.”

“Damn right they do.”  Rin’s hand moved to her hip, touching the hilt of the knife strapped there.  Even in the uncomfortable, high court fashions her mother insisted she wore when making court appearances, she never went without her knife.  She trusted Sousuke with her life and knew he would protect her, but having some protection of her own always made her feel better.  Besides, she could help Sousuke if he ever needed it.

The two entered her rooms, with Rin completely ignoring the other guards stationed at the doors.

“Help me out of this dress, would you?”  She undid her belt, setting it and her knife down onto the bed.

“I’m sure you can untie your own dress,” Sousuke grumbled, though he stepped up behind her, carefully unlacing the dress.  Once the ties were loose, he moved back towards the door and turned around to give her some privacy.

Slipping out of her dress, Rin pulled on a pair of loose pants and a sleeveless shirt.  She grabbed her belt off the bed and tied it around her waist once more.  “Dressed,” she said, letting Sousuke know it was safe to turn back around.  “He’ll be here for the coronation, I take it?”

“Yes.  He should be arriving any day now.  And your mother expects you to be civil,” he smiled as he spoke, teasing her.  “Now I assume you want to practice knife fighting?”

Her wide, sharp toothed grin was the only answer he needed.

* * *

Rin wanted to drag out practice as much as possible, wanted to lose herself in the fight, to distract her from thoughts of marriages and coronations.  She had barely turned eighteen and already the world was demanding so much of her.  So, she threw herself into the fight, grinning at Sousuke.

The two of them danced around each other, perfectly in sync.  It had always been like this, ever since they were children.  Rin would lead and Sousuke would follow, always getting into trouble together.  They knew each other better than they knew themselves.  Not much had changed when Sousuke became Rin’s body guard; he now simply had the authority to apprehend and potentially kill anyone who threatened the future queen’s life.

Despite how in sync they were, Rin had always been slightly faster and she used that to her advantage when they both started to tire.  She ended practice by managing to disarm Sousuke and knock him down.  His knife clattered to the ground and Rin kicked it out of reach, listening to it skid across the floor.  She bent down, holding her knife over Sousuke’s throat.  The two of them stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Pulling away, Rin held her hand out, helping her best friend to his feet.  “You’re losing your touch, Sousuke.  How is the head of my queensguard supposed to _protect_ me if he cannot even _defeat_ me in combat?”

“I went easy on you,” Sousuke said, rolling his eyes as he dusted himself off.

“Hah!  You have never gone easy on me!”  Rin kicked his shin as she grinned at him.  “We should go bathe now.  You reek.”

“ _You_ reek, princess.”  Laughing, he dodged her next kick before going to retrieve his knife.  “I’ll meet you in the kitchens once we’re finished?”

Rin smiled a bit as she sheathed her knife and nodded.  “Sounds good.  Don’t get lost on the way to the baths!”  With a loud laugh, she ran out of the training courtyard, leaving a sputtering Sousuke behind her.

* * *

The walk to her chambers was uneventful.  Rin greeted a few of the guards, occasionally boasting about her current victory over Sousuke.

When she passed one of the courtyards near her rooms, she peeked in out of habit, trying to see if the little black cat she was trying to befriend was hanging around.  As she looked around the courtyard, a scowl darkened her features.

Rin spotted the cat easily, basking in the sun as it lay on its back.  The problem was the man crouched by it, cooing at it and petting it.  He was dressed in plain, civilian clothing and fear bubbled up in her chest.  She had never seen this man before and he was so close to her chambers.  How had he gotten into the palace so easily?  This was a severe safety issue and she wasn’t about to let him leave.

As quietly as she could, she unsheathed her knife and began to sneak up behind the man.  He seemed entirely unaware of her presence as he focused on the cat.  If he was an assassin, he wasn’t a very good one.  Still, he was trespassing, no matter what the reason and Rin wouldn’t stand for it.

Moving quickly once she was behind him, she slipped an arm around him, pressing her knife lightly against his neck.  “Make no sudden movements or I’ll slit your throat.”  To emphasize her threat, she pressed the knife slightly harder, though not hard enough to draw any blood.

The man froze instantly, a soft whimper escaping his throat.  Either he was a very good actor or not an assassin at all.  Rin didn’t like the idea of threatening one of her citizens but she couldn’t allow some strange man to wander around the palace without a guard escort!

“I-I’m sorry!  I g-got lost, I swear I wasn’t trying to do anything bad!”  The man stammered, whimpering again.  “P-Please don’t kill me!”

“And why shouldn’t I?  You’re trespassing in the palace without permission.”  Despite her words, Rin eased up slightly, no longer pressing the knife directly against his throat.

“I-I’m supposed to be here, I swear!”

Was he just trying to beg for his life now?  There was no reason for him to be here, especially not in a courtyard so close to her chambers.  “I don’t believe you,” she growled, moving the knife closer again.

“Makoto.”

The new voice had both Rin and the man she was threatening freeze up.  With a frown, she glanced in the direction of the voice, noticing a man wearing guard regalia.  The insignia wasn’t hers though, but that of the large trade city of Iwatobi.  The exact city that her betrothed was coming from.  And her betrothed’s name was Makoto…

Jumping away from the man she had threatened, she stared at him and then at the guard.  “Is he…?”

“The son of the ruling family of Iwatobi, Makoto Tachibana,” the guard said, frowning slightly.  However, the frown was directed at Makoto and not Rin.  “I told you not to wander off.”

“I’m sorry, Haru!  Ah, don’t be upset with her!  She was just doing her job…”  Makoto turned around, smiling sheepishly and letting Rin get her first proper look at her betrothed.  He had a kind face, with bright green eyes and a warm smile that he directed at Rin.  “I’m sorry I scared you, miss.  We were on the way the guest rooms and the cat was just so cute…”

Rin simply stared at him, her eyes widening as she listened to him.  He didn’t know who she was and how could he?  She was covered in sweat and dirt after sparring with Sousuke and clad in a plain guard uniform.

Oh god, she had just assaulted her future husband and he had no idea who she was.  Nervously, she gave him a small nod before pointing in the direction of the guest rooms.  “That’s the way you want to go.”  With that, she spun around and marched out of the courtyard. 

Once she was sure she was out of sight, Rin broke into a run, heading towards the guards’ quarters.  Panic was bubbling in her chest and she needed to see Sousuke.  She stormed into guard wing, almost running Ai over as she marched towards the bathing rooms.

“P-Princess, what are you doing?”  He squeaked out, turning around and hurrying after Rin.

“I need to see Sousuke.  Immediately.”  Rin scowled, shaking Ai’s hand off her arm.

“He isn’t finished with his bath, Princess!”

Whipping around, she turned her scowl on the guard.  “So?  I need to see him.”

“But it’s improper!  He’s just a guard and you’re the princess!”  Ai tried to block her once she got to the door leading into the guards’ bathing room.

“He can cover up with a towel for all I care.  This is important, Ai!  Now get out of my way or I’ll have you arrested for treason,” she growled, stepping close to the guard.  It was an empty threat, of course; he was much too loyal to get rid of.

“There will be no need for that, Rin.”  Sousuke’s voice caused both Ai and Rin to freeze, turning to stare at him as he stood in the now open doorway of the bathing room.  A fresh pair of pants hung low on his waist and he was toweling his hair dry as he looked at them.  “What happened?  Why haven’t you taken a bath yet?”

Quietly, Ai slipped away from them, though he stayed close by in case his princess needed him.

“I…  I just threatened to kill my future husband!”  Rin blurted out, feeling her eyes burn with tears.  “I fucked up, Sousuke, I fucked everything up!  I didn’t wanna get married but I didn’t wanna do this either!  We’re gonna lose Iwatobi’s support and trade and my kingdom is going to suffer and it’s all my fault!”

Sousuke listened, frowning slightly.  “They’re here early,” he muttered.

“That’s not the problem, you asshole!  Did you not hear what I did?  What am I supposed to do when we officially meet?  He’ll realize I’m the one that tried to kill him!  I’m supposed to _marry_ him.”  Rin growled a bit, trying to choke back her tears as she kicked Sousuke’s shin.

Sighing, Sousuke pulled her into a hug and patted her back as she started to cry.  “Rin, I’m sure things will be okay.  Just… calm down and tell me what happened.”

“I… I saw him in the courtyard by my rooms, the one with the cat, and he was dressed so plainly I thought he had somehow broken into the palace!  So I pulled my knife on him but then this Iwatobi guard shows up and says the man I’m threatening is Makoto Tachibana and he was so… nice about it?  He just said I was doing my job but I wasn’t!  He’s going to find out that it wasn’t a guard but his betrothed that threatened him!”

“Rin, I’m sure he’ll understand.  If he was understanding when he thought you were a guard, he should be understanding when he realizes who you are.”  Sousuke ruffled her hair, giving her a reassuring smile.  “If not, I will back you up, alright?  You thought the palace was in danger and acted accordingly.  You did nothing wrong.”

Rin sniffled, rubbing at her eyes as she nodded weakly.  This is why she had wanted to see Sousuke as soon as possible.  He was always the one to calm her down, no matter what was going on.  “Okay,” she mumbled, still clinging to him.

“Now you really should go bathe.  You’re getting me dirty again,” he said, laughing softly.  “I will see if your mother is arranging for a dinner party with Makoto and his family.  I’ll come to your room either way.  So no more crying, princess.”

“It’s Rin,” she grumbled, kicking at his leg weakly.

Sousuke simply laughed again before turning to Ai.  “Escort her to her bath and keep watch over her.”

Frowning at the thought of getting an escort, Rin pulled away from Sousuke and marched past Ai.  She heard him flail a bit before falling into step behind him.

“Ah, princess, I don’t think he’ll hate you…  All the reports from Iwatobi say he’s very kind and gentle,” Ai supplied, voice quiet. 

Rin knew he was trying to make her feel better but it wasn’t working.  Who would feel comfortable around her after something like that?

* * *

Rin’s mother had indeed planned a dinner between Makoto’s family and her own.  She had found out after her bath, when Sousuke had reappeared in her room.  Upset, because she still hadn’t had any time to figure out how to apologize to Makoto, she had ordered everyone out of her room, save for her sister.

Princess Gou had shown up around the same time as Sousuke, offering to help her get dressed.  Rin accepted with a sigh, holding still as her sister wrapped a jeweled bandeau around her breasts.  It was a dark red, with beading woven into the fabric and gems hanging off the bottom, cool against her bare midriff.  Next, Gou helped her into a white, cotton skirt.  The front was short, baring her strong legs while the back of the skirt hung low, almost trailing on the floor.

Once that was done, Rin grabbed a sheer red scarf and tied it around her waist.  She followed it up with shear gloves and stockings.  A quiet thank you was all she said when her sister handed her a pair of soft, red shoes.  Once her clothing was complete, she sat still as Gou adorned her in as much gold and gem encrusted jewelry as Rin could stand, finishing it off with a small tiara with a sheer, red veil affixed to it.

“You look beautiful, Rin.  I’m sure he’ll love you,” Gou said softly, giving her sister an encouraging smile.

Oh, if only her sister knew what had happened earlier.  “It doesn’t feel like me, Gou.  I feel like a _doll._ ”  It was frustrating; she was supposed to be queen soon and yet she still felt like a pretty toy for people to look at.

“Ah…  I know, Rin.  It’ll be okay.  I promise.”  Leaning close, Gou pressed a soft kiss to her sister’s forehead.  “Ah, before we go, you’re forgetting something.”  With a smile, Gou grabbed Rin’s knife and handed it to her sister.

Rin’s eyes widened a bit before she hugged her sister tightly.  “Thank you, Gou.”  With a small smile, she used the scarf around her waist to fasten her knife to her hip.

* * *

As soon as she walked into the dining hall, escorted by Sousuke, Rin _felt_ the room go quiet.  Forcing herself to hold her head high, she let Sousuke lead her to her seat.  It was only after she sat down that she realized Makoto was sitting right across from her.

Feeling panic bubble up in her chest again, Rin fought down the urge to get up and run out of the room.  The only thing stopping her was Sousuke’s hand on her shoulder, grounding her.  She sent him a grateful smile before turning to simply stare at the table.

Her appetite vanished as she felt Makoto staring at her.  Risking a glance at him, she noticed that he was looking at her with wide eyes, recognition on his face.  Great, he knew who she was.

Cursing herself internally, Rin picked at her food, hoping that this dinner party would end soon.  Unfortunately, it dragged on as everyone talked and got to know each other.  The only ones that remained silent were the betrothed couple and their personal guards.

After dessert finally ended and most of the other adults were drinking and laughing, Rin got up and left the room.  It may have been impolite to leave without excusing herself but she couldn’t stand sitting in that room any longer.

Sousuke followed close behind her but not before whispering to the kitchen staff to bring some food to her rooms.  At least she would have something to eat should her appetite return.

“I don’t believe he was angry at you, princess.”  Sousuke finally spoke once they were near her rooms, though he kept his voice soft.

Rin simply shrugged, thinking back to Makoto’s face during the dinner party.  At first he had seemed mostly shocked but as the dinner had went on, she had caught him sending her little smiles from across the table.  Maybe he really wasn’t angry with her.

The sound of feet pounding against the floor pulled her from her thoughts and she turned, expecting to see one of her guards.  Instead, what she saw was Makoto, out of breath and flushed as though he had been running around for a while.

“I… I got lost again,” he managed to gasp out, laughing softly.  “I wanted to talk to you.  I-If that’s alright with you!”  He smiled at her, fidgeting slightly as he awaited her answer, though he briefly looked away when his own personal guard appeared at his side.

After a moment of thought, Rin sighed and nodded.  “I suppose that would be alright.”  Turning around, she led the three men to one of the nearby courtyards.

The large lampposts had alright been lit, bathing the courtyard in a warm glow.  With a small nod to Sousuke, she had him stop just outside where he could keep his eyes on her and the hallway.  He held out his hand, stopping Makoto’s guard as well, much to the shorter man’s annoyance.

Rin wandered into the courtyard, waiting for Makoto to say something but every time she glanced at him, he would clam up and look away from her.  After a few minutes of this nonsense, Rin sat down on one of the stone benches and patted the space beside her.  Instantly, Makoto sat beside her, avoiding her gaze.  It reminded her of how her servants jumped to do whatever she asked of them.  It was _annoying._

“Look, if we are going to marry, I want to make one thing clear.  You may simply be my consort but you will be my husband and you _will_ be equal to me.  Maybe not in ruling power but as a person.  So I don’t want you to… to just do whatever I say without question, alright?”  She turned to look at him properly, frowning as she saw his eyes widen.

“Oh…  I suppose that makes sense,” he said, a nervous laugh escaping his lips.

Frowning even more, Rin watched him squirm for a few moments before turning away.  “I promise I will not pull another knife on you.”  Now it was her turn to laugh nervously.  “I… I’m sorry.  You were dressed so plainly and I… I didn’t even know what you looked like.”

“After you left, Haru said he thought it was you.  He said your hair was an obvious giveaway.”

“Even so, I’m sorry!  I was sure you would hate me for that!”  Rin sighed, glancing over at Makoto briefly.  He seemed much more relaxed as their conversation continued, for which she was glad.  It would do her no good if her future husband feared her.

“I forgive you,” Makoto said softly, a warm smile on his face.  “You were just trying to protect your home.  I think that’s a great trait for a queen.”

Rin froze, staring at Makoto as she felt her face heat up.  “I… Well, I just… th-thank you,” she sputtered, before quickly getting up and heading out of the courtyard.  “I’m tired, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”  Still bright red, she grabbed Sousuke’s arm and dragged him toward her rooms.

From behind her, she heard Makoto bid her good night.

* * *

As she had promised, Rin summoned Makoto to the courtyard near her room the next day.  She almost didn’t hear him approach, too focused on trying to coax the black cat out from under a bush.  It hissed at her, lashing out and scratching the back of her hand.  Wincing, she retrieved her hand and sat back, eying the angry, red claw marks.

“Fine, stay under there for all I care!”  Rin huffed, looking away from the cat.  It didn’t respond, simply watching her with golden eyes.

“It’s simply scared, princess,” a soft voice from behind her said.

Tensing at first, Rin relaxed almost instantly when she realized it was just her betrothed.  Of course it was; she had ordered Sousuke not to let anyone else into the courtyard.  “It’s Rin,” she said softly, rubbing her injured hand absently.

Makoto sat beside her, still smiling softly.  He moved slowly, taking her small hand gently between his large ones.  “The scratches don’t look too bad…  Ah, hold on.”  He fumbled through his pockets before producing a pale green handkerchief.  “This should help.”  Focusing, he carefully wrapped the cloth around her hand, covering the scratches.

Throughout the entire exchange, Rin could feel her face growing warmer until she had to look away to try composing herself.  Her composure didn’t last long, however, when she felt Makoto press his lips gently against the back of her hand.

She gasped, face burning brightly as she yanked her hand away.  A hurt look crossed Makoto’s face and she instantly regretted her actions.  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, rubbing her hand softly.  “I’m just… not used to this.”  It wasn’t a lie; Sousuke was the only boy she’d been allowed to interact with after her betrothal and he was more of a brother than anything else.

“I’m sorry too.  I don’t want to upset you.”  Makoto gave her a soft smile before turning to look at the bush.  Carefully, he plucked a twig from it and swished it across the ground, catching the cat’s attention.  After a few moments, the cat darted out of the bush and pounced on the twig.  Makoto laughed softly as he played with the animal, eventually coaxing it to relax as he stroked its head.

Rin’s eyes widened a bit as she watched him.  She had never been able to get the cat to come over to her and yet Makoto could do it so easily.  A small pout settled on her lips as she watched the two before the twig was suddenly held out in front of her face.

“Here, Rin.  Just move it around like I did and the cat will play with it.”  Makoto’s smile widened when she took the small twig from him.

Frowning at the twig for a moment, she lowered it to the ground and swished it about.  It took a few moments but the cat finally pounced on the twig and she was finally, _finally_ playing with it.  Rin smiled as she watched the cat jump around, brightening up even more when it came to rub against her hand.  “Ah, you’re so cute…  I’m sorry I scared you earlier.”

“See?  It likes you now,” Makoto said, hesitantly reaching out to push her hair behind her ear.

Rin felt herself blush again but this time, she didn’t move away from him.  “Thank you for helping me with this.”

“Eh?  Of course.”  His warm smile returned full force as he spoke.  “You seem much more comfortable out here than last night during dinner.”  He glanced at her clothes, plain ones like the ones she had worn when she’d threatened him.

“Ah…  Court life is difficult.  My sister is much better suited for things like that, and yet I’m the one they’re crowning.”  She let out a bitter laugh before looking at her clothes along with Makoto.  “I wouldn’t mind the dresses so much if it didn’t feel like my mother was making me look like a doll.”

“I think you’re more beautiful like this.  Because you look happy.”  Smiling brightly, Makoto gently picked up her injured hand again, kissing her knuckles.  “If… If it makes you feel better, I’ll be with you Rin.  I want to help you.”

Rin stared at him, eyes widening slightly.  “I…  I didn’t want to marry, y’know.  But you’re not so bad,” she finished, sending him a small grin.

Makoto stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter, the sound sending the cat scampering back under the bush.

* * *

In the weeks leading up to her coronation, Rin and Makoto spent more and more time together.  She learned about his love for chocolate and his younger siblings and in turn, she told him stories of all the trouble she, Sousuke and Gou had gotten into as children.

He encouraged her whenever the stress of the upcoming coronation got to be too much, hugging her gently and holding her hand.  Sometimes he would press kisses across the backs of her hands, causing both of them to turn a bright red.

On the day of her coronation, Makoto stood beside her outside the doors as she waited for her cue, rubbing her back gently. 

As Rin’s mind went over everything she was supposed to do, her hands shook and she gripped the skirt of her gown.  It was soft to the touch and Rin was careful not to rip the dark red fabric.  The slightest movement had the gold accent work, which trailed up from the bottom of the dress in the shape of flowers, catch in the light and glow as if they were aflame.  Similar accents adorned her bodice, forming the royal crest across her chest.  Her shaky hands touched the woven threads, trying to focus on how they felt, rather than the long walk she had to make to the throne.

She had been about to pick at the gold threads when large hands encircled her own, pulling them away from her dress.  “It’ll be alright,” she heard Makoto say, feeling his lips press against her forehead.  “You’ll be a wonderful queen.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered, staring a hole into the floor.

“Rin,” he said softly, cupping her cheeks and turning her face toward him.  “I _do_ know that.”  He smiled, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks lightly.

Rin noticed a faint blush on his cheeks but before she could comment on it, Makoto was bending down and pressing his lips against hers.  The kiss was soft and painfully short as he hurriedly pulled back, face burning red.  He pulled her into a hug, being careful not to muss up her hair.  “Forgive me, I… I should have asked first, I’m…”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Rin huffed, returning the hug gently.  She pulled back slightly to see his face, smiling up at him.  “There is no one else I would rather have by my side.”

A swell of music came from the throne room, signaling that her procession was about to begin.  Before the doors opened, Rin stood on her toes and pulled Makoto down into another kiss.


End file.
